St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-03
AN OLD MANS BLOOD
Brutally and Apparently Wantonly
Shed By a Former En-
ploye.
The First Murder Minneapolis Has
Known For More Than Two
Years.
George Gensler Found Murdered
III the Low Eating House
He Ran.
Charles Singer, His Discharged
Cook, Charged With the
Murder.

For some years Minneapolis has been
free of anything of the character of re-
voting crime, but yesterday brought what
now seems to have been a brutal, shocking
murder. George Gensler, an old German
who has kept cheap restaurant in a
tumbled-down shanty near the corner of
Second street and First avenue south,
just above the WILDER house.
was found lying Oh the floor
yesterday morning at o'clock in All insen-
sble and apparently dying condition. The
body laid upon the floor. while blood was
flowing prOfuSely from wound in the
head. The discovery was made by James
O'Neil, who was employed by Gensler as a
cook. He came to work at o'clock, and
not being able to get any response to re-
peated knocks upon the front door, went
around to the rear door, which he found
open, and passing through the kitchen
found Gensl er on the other side of the par
ttion lying ON his back between two chairs.
He was grooming feebly, and the blood
from the wound upon the left side OF
his head had formed pool on the floor and
stained his shirt to crimson. O'Neil gave
the alarm, and the police and medical at
tendance were summoned at once. An eX-
animation of the wound showed that it had
been produced with blunt instrument,
the left side of the skull being indented, as
though
FROM SEVERAL CRUSHING BLOWS.
CA heavy AK with blood and hair upon it's
head was found leaning against the wall a
few feet from the body and was the I'M
doubted instrument of death. An effort
was made to revive Gensler, without sue
cess, and as quickly as possible he was re-
moved to st. Barnabas' hospital. Detectives
Hoy and King went to work on the
case at once, and the police secured the
neighborhood for suspicious characters, as
the murder had evidently been committed
but short time previous. Officer Coskaran
soon arrested man named Bill Flannery,
who had been employed by Gensler, and with
whom the old man Quarreled last Friday.
He was subsequently released as there
seemed to be nothing to connect him with
the crime, but was re-arrested during the
day, a bloody shirt having been found in his
room at the Economy hotel. He explained
this by saying he had been bitten by horse
in the ear few days before.
ANOTHER ARREST
was made last evening by Detective How,
and he is said to be the right man. His
name is Charles Singer and he is about 40
years old. He has been a hard citizen,
and has been at the workhouse for
drunkenness. He has always worked
as a cook III though joints" having been
employed at BILLY the Kids" restaurant
Oh Washington avenue north, the Big BoS-
ton restaurant and other cheap eating
houses res0rted to by low characters He
was employed by Gensler up to five days
ago, and has scar Oh his head
said to have resulted from fight with the
old man. Lately he has earned an eX-
istence by gathering mint and selling it at
saloons. He was arrested on First avenue
south, near Washington avenue, and had a
valise containing his clothes. 1t
was ascertained early in the day that
he was the probable assailant. and the de-
tectives had been on the lookout for him.
1t appears that he had been out to Cedar
Lake during the afternoon in company with
two other cooks known as Douglass
and French Mike" He had Just
returned from the lake and
probably got pointer" to the effect that
the detectives were after him, and was pre-
pairing to leave town. When arrested he
was considerably frightened and very nerv-
GUS, but refused to say anything. The men
who had been in his company
were arrested later by Detective
Doyle. The detectives also visited
Cedar Lake, where shirt thought to be-
long to Singer was found. These are all
the particulars that the detectives care to
divulge, but say that they have clear case
against Singer and that he will plead guilty.
THE VICTIM
of the deadly assault George Gensler, came
to Minneapolis some time last summer from
Louisville, KY, where he has wife, from
whom he has been divorced. and two
daughters. He is German, and is
GA years Of age. He was at
times very quarrelsome, but was gener-
ally regarded as harmless. The wound was
pronounced to be necessarily fatal by the
physicians. and his death was hourly ex-
pected during the day. He hung on to
life tenaciouSly, however. and at midnight
was still alive, but was thought to be
sinking.
Col. Hill last night received telegram
from Miss L. Gensler, at Louis
vile, asking for particulars of
her fathers death. The chief
of police also telegraphed to have Gensler's
body embalmed and sent on the first train
to Louisville. and that all expenses would
be paid by Falls City lodge, Knights of
Honor. TO these dispatches the answer
was sent that Gensler was still alive, but
would probably die before morning, and the
requests as to the disposition of his remains
would be obeyed.